the 1990s the population of Armenians in Bulgaria has continually decreased due to immigration and assimilation. Culture, religion and media The Armenians and their historical faith were an inspiration for noted Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov to write one of his most recognizable works, the poem Armentsi (Armenians), describing the Armenians as 'forlorn exiles, a miserable fragment; of an ever-brave martyr-people; little children of a troubled slavewoman-mother; and victims of a legendarily great feat': Three Armenian newspapers are published in Bulgaria: Armentsi issued in Burgas every fortnight with a circulation of 3,500; the weekly Vahan issued in Plovdiv with a circulation of 1,000; and the weekly Erevan issued in Sofia. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) publishes a monthly bulletin Parekordzagani Tsayn. There are a total of ten Armenian Apostolic churches and two chapels in twelve cities, mostly in those urban centres with a significant Armenian population: Aytos, Burgas, Pazardzhik, Russe, Shumen, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Varna and Yambol. All churches are under an eparchy based in Sofia. The Armenian Evangelical Church in Bulgaria is located in Plovdiv. Notable Bulgarian Armenians Armen Ambartsumyan, footballer (goalkeeper) and Armenia international Michael Arlen, writer Artine Artinian, French literature scholar Krikor Azaryan, theatre director Yuliya Berberyan, nine times Bulgarian tennis champion in the 1960s and 1970s, tennis coach and UDF deputy Raffi Bohosyan, winner of the first series of Bulgarian X Factor Steven Derounian, American congressman from New York Eduard Eranosyan, footballer and manager Magardich Halvadjian, film director and producer Vili Kazasyan, composer and conductor Hilda Kazasyan, jazz singer Kirkor Kirkorov, amateur boxer Agop Melkonyan, journalist and prolific SciFi author Stephen Sacklarian, Artist Armen Nazaryan, Greco-Roman wrestler (naturalized) Norair Nurikyan, weightlifter Partially Armenian Bulgarians Philipp Kirkorov, singer, actor and television presenter Katerina Maleeva, tennis player Magdalena Maleeva, tennis player Manuela Maleeva, tennis player Alice Panikian, Miss Universe Canada 2006 Sylvie Vartan, French pop singer and music hall impresario See also Armenia–Bulgaria relations Armenian diaspora Immigration to Bulgaria Footnotes References Edouard Selian. The language of the Paulicians and Pomaks: http://www.saching.com/Articles/The-Language-of-the-Paulicians-and-Pomaks-17121.html (in Bulgarian) Едуард Селян. Коренът "джур" в българска езикова среда. Сп. “Филология”, Изд.: СУ "Св. Кл. Охридски", София, 1983, бр. 12 – 13, с. 137 – 139. (Selian, E. The Root “Jur“ in the Bulgarian Language Environment. Magazine “Philology”. Publisher: Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”, Sofia, 1983, issue 12–13, p. 137–139). Peykovska, P. War and Migration in Bulgaria from 1912 to 1926, 2017 Пейковска, П. Демографски аспекти